Let’s start with a story. It takes place in Indian Wells, Calif., at the BNP Paribas Open. Naomi Osaka was on one side of the net. A heckler was in the stands, letting her have it. And Osaka was visibly upset.
This story doesn’t take place this past Saturday night—we’ll get to that in a moment—but rather four years ago. Osaka was facing Sachia Vickery in an early-round match. Vickery—a young American inspired by the Williams sisters and who came to tennis not via country clubs but when her grandmother bought her a racket at a Dollar Store—brought a considerable fan section to this big match. One of the members in her traveling party was especially vocal. Nothing personal. But he brought with him the same sensibilities he would to a Rams or Dodgers or Lakers game and began to yap at the opponent.
Osaka was rattled. She cast a downbeat look and began to tear up. Her coach at the time, Sascha Bajin, asked the fan to stop. Taking advantage of the WTA’s rules that permit coaching during matches at events other than the majors, Bajin came onto the court and calmed Osaka down. She would win the match. And the tournament. And the U.S. Open six months later, her breakthrough.
